Christmas lights 'can damage property sales'

Homeowners looking to get into the festive spirit have been warned that displaying lights on the exterior of their houses risk reducing their chances of selling their property.

Propertyfinder.com has said that sellers will need to work extra hard to sell their property at the moment, given both the usual Christmas slowdown and suggestions that Home information packs will slow the market.

As a result, homeowners should take care to remove eyesores such as broken down vehicles, old furniture and excessive decoration from the front of their properties, the website suggested.

"Competition amongst sellers is going to be rife over the next couple of months and my top tip is to avoid bold statements both inside and out - prospective buyers like to see a neutral décor on which they could stamp their own identity," said propertyfinder.com chief executive Warren Bright.

"It's going to be a tougher market for sellers this Christmas and they need to do everything possible to appeal to the right buyers and maximise their chance of a sale," Mr Bright added.

Last week, however, Alliance & Leicester said that 22 per cent of all home sales were completed in the 12-week run-up to Christmas.

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